Makita Metzger sworn in as Cobb County Solicitor General
Share

With her family by her side and a packed room of supporters, Cobb County’s new Solicitor General Makita Metzger recently took her oath of office as the new solicitor general of Cobb County.
Her oath was administered by Chief State Court Judge Carl Bowers as her husband, Britt Cottingham, held a weathered Bible, and her sons Will and Eli Cottingham looked on. During the ceremony, Eli Cottingham was called upon to lead the Pledge of Allegiance, while Metzger’s brother-in-law Christopher Cottingham sang a solo rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
Law enforcement officials, state lawmakers, community leaders, and fellow prosecutors witnessed the passing of the torch. A former prosecutor in Fulton and Paulding counties, her swearing-in makes Metzger the first woman and first Black person to lead the office after the departure of Barry Morgan who held the post but did not seek reelection.
The historic significance was not lost on Metzger who thanked her family and supporters. During her remarks, Metzger said, “I am not here of my own accord. I am here because of the leaders who have fought hard, and died, and bled, and suffered to make this happen,” she said. “… I am standing on the shoulders of those who have come before me.” She closed by saying, “I want to remind everyone that leadership is intrinsic from within. You do not have to be an elected official to be a leader. It is a value, and we all have the ability to lead.”
Metzger told those in attendance that elevating to the position was “a coming home for me — coming home, working where I love and where I live.” She went on to say, “I’m humbled. I’m not special in any way. I’m just a normal, ordinary woman who had an idea in her head that she wanted to do something better.”
Many begged to differ in their glowing description of Metzger including Fulton County State Court Judge Patsy Porter, who first met Metzger in 2015 and said, “You will receive from Solicitor General-elect Metzger someone who brings her A game to the courtroom every time she walks in,” Porter said.
With 52.3% of the vote, Democrat Metzger defeated Republican Courtney Brubaker in the November General Election. She positioned herself as an outsider candidate, promising to employ alternatives to prosecution such as accountability courts and addressing the root causes of crime.
The Solicitor General’s office handles all misdemeanor crimes across Cobb.